A Sense of Place ~ Valerie Ronald

There is a phrase echoing around in my mind, simpler to describe than to define ˗˗ a sense of place.

It is warm golden pine needles carpeting the ground, spicing the air with each cushioned footstep. It is shafts of sunlight dropping down through tree columns, alive with dancing dust and insects. It is the rhythmic sound of waves swelling and receding, growing louder as the shoreline comes into view. Once beyond the trees, it is drawing in big breaths of salt-rich air, then kicking off my shoes and burying my toes in the sand, more fully alive here by the sea than anywhere else.

By the sea is where I derive my deepest sense of place, a setting for joyful contemplation when all goes well and for comfort when solace is sought. Walking along its shores gazing at the layers of moving water, distant mountains, and wind-swept clouds, my soul finds nurture and peace. I don’t live near it anymore but in some tender corner of my heart the sea will always draw me. I was happiest there as a child and dream of living near it again someday.

“Place is where meaning, belonging, and safety come together under the covering of our best efforts at unconditional love,” writes author Randy Kilgore. “Place beckons us with memories buried deep in our souls. Even when our place isn’t perfect, its hold on us is dramatic, magnetic.”

Place, that idyllic memory evoked by emotions connected to it. For me it is more a person than a physical setting. Yes, my heart responds to some places more than others, where special memories have their roots or beauty stirs me. At some point those places may be changed or even destroyed, but the One who gives me the most secure, eternal sense of place will be forever present.

Jesus Christ said, “Abide in Me, and I will abide in you.” (John 15:4 NIV) What a strange concept that must have been to the disciples listening to Him. Abide? Live in? Take up residence in Jesus? When read in context of the metaphor of the vine and the branches in John 15, abiding in Jesus makes sense. He is our vine, our source of spiritual nourishment so we, the branch, can bear spiritual fruit. Important as spiritual fruit is, it is not the main reason for Jesus wanting us to abide in Him. His desire is for intimacy with His beloved child, a sense of connection only achieved by living as close to Him as possible. Abiding, remaining˗˗when our inner spirit, the truest essence of who we are, takes up residence in the heart of Jesus. It sounds a bit mystical. True spirituality is a mystery, but the practice of it is simple. Spend time with Jesus. Seek, long for, thirst after, engage, know, hear and respond to … Jesus. Find Him in His Word, talk to Him in prayer, listen for His voice in your spirit, live in Him.

Being by the ocean gives me a sense of place because of significant personal epiphanies I have experienced there. Yet I have learned that my truest sense of place happens in my spiritual abode, the heart of Jesus, a place of love. “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Now abide in My love.” (John 15:9)

Valerie Ronald writes from an old roll top desk in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, with her tortoiseshell cat for a muse. A graduate of Langara College School of Journalism, she writes devotionals, fiction and inspirational prose. Her purpose in writing is to encourage others to grow in their spiritual walk.

Life in the Vine ~ Valerie Ronald

                                                                                                               image by Pixabay

The intense aroma of boiling grape juice filled my kitchen as I crushed more grapes to make jelly. The clusters of deep purple grapes were abundant, considering how vigorously my husband pruned the vines growing along the back of our garage in the fall. When he was done, only the main trunk and a few branches were left. It was hard to imagine grapes growing next season after such severe pruning, yet the boxes full of fruit on my kitchen floor were proof of its effectiveness. Proper pruning helped the grape vine branches grow back to bear even more grapes than the previous year.

In John 15, Jesus used the picture of the vine and the branches to illustrate the importance of His disciples staying in close communion with Him in order to bear fruit for His kingdom. The fruit they were to produce is that of the Holy Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Gal.5:22-23 NIV). He also made it clear that trials the disciples faced were meant to refine or prune them so they would be more fruitful.

I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. (John 15:1-4)

He used the metaphor as a picture of His presence and energy still being available to them even after He was gone. His living Spirit would continue to nourish and sustain them just as the roots and trunk of a grape vine produce the energy that nourishes and sustains its branches while they develop their fruit. Their part was to continue to abide, remain, stay connected to˗˗Jesus, their source of life-giving power, so they could bear fruit, or positive spiritual service for His kingdom.

In meditating on this familiar passage as it applies to a writer’s life, I don’t need to think too hard to recall times when my abiding has been weak and my fruit-bearing almost non-existent. As much as I enjoy writing, life has a way of robbing me of writing time and energy. Family situations, health issues, or church obligations can easily take over if I let them. Sometimes I find it challenging to maintain a consistent, intimate connection with Christ so His Spirit can flow through me as I write. Author and pastor, John Piper, says the essential meaning of our active abiding is the act of receiving and trusting all that God gives us in Christ, so it flows like a life-giving sap into our lives.  

When I am not abiding as I should, then I need to open the channels of my spirit so what Jesus offers can flow freely. He is specific in what He provides.   

 “His words ˗ "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7) 

In order for me to bear fruit through my writing, I need to feed on the Word. The Bible is not just a book of sacred stories and sayings, it is a living book, the inspired words of God that He provided so I can know Him, His plans and His purposes. By spending time in it, I abide in Him and His words abide in me. In turn, His words nourish my words so what I write reflects who He is. 

His love - “As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Abide in My love.” (John 15:9)  

My ultimate purpose as a writer seeking to abide in Him is to communicate His love to my readers. Out of the many reasons I write ˗˗ to entertain, to teach, to inspire ˗˗ conveying the love of Jesus is the most important. When I abide in Him, then the fruit borne of my writing is supernaturally imbued with His love.                                                                                                                          

His joy - “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11)

Jesus delights in sharing His joy. This is not just any joy, it is the life-giving joy of Christ flowing through us like sparkling water energizing our creativity so others will be drawn to what we write. When I write, I feel His joy full and free, giving me a sense of His pleasure in His beloved child using her gift.  

Jesus is explicit in His statement that we cannot bear fruit alone. “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.” (John 15:4) Nothing of lasting value for His kingdom can be accomplished by us unless we are firmly abiding in Him. He is the vine, flowing His lifeblood through us so that we bear fruit which is actually His. We cannot do so without Him. If we are trying to express spiritual truths as a writer, our words will be empty, no matter how well-written, if we have not first received Jesus Christ into our soul as our Savior. He is not only the source of our salvation, He provides what we need for a fruitful life. Once we have received Him, close communion with Him is essential so His life flows to its full extent into ours.

Our source of life and spiritual fruit is not in ourselves; it is outside us, in Christ Jesus. When our writing bears fruit in the lives of our readers, then it can only be as a result of our abiding in Him. 

                                               

Valerie Ronald writes from an old roll top desk in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, with her tortoiseshell cat for a muse. A graduate of Langara College School of Journalism, she writes devotionals, fiction and inspirational prose. Her purpose in writing is to encourage others to grow in their spiritual walk.

2020: The Results of Abiding in Jesus by Ruth L. Snyder

 At the beginning of 2020, I chose "Abide" as my keyword. None of us have any way of knowing what a year holds when we step across the threshold into January and beyond. Most years have challenges, but 2020 has been more difficult than usual with the spread of COVID-19. I have found that when I abide in Jesus and trust in Him, I have peace, contentment, and everything else I need. In John 16:33 Jesus told his disciples, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

This year I was supposed to do several things that didn't happen:

• Speak at an international women's conference in Edmonton
• Go on a mission trip with one of my sons to Mexico
• Go on a cruise with one of my Christian writing friends

In some ways, I felt like I was cheated. However, I also know that God does not make any mistakes, and I believe He works everything together for our good (Romans 8:28).

Throughout my life, God has taught me to focus on the positive rather than the negative, and to change what I have control over rather than wishing things were different. I believe this is part of abiding...resting, trusting, relying on God.

This year abiding in Jesus has brought many positive results. I can look back at 2020 with a smile because God has allowed me to experience many blessings.

• My son, Jayson, did graduate from high school, even if his graduation ceremony was not what was expected. (He wasn't sure he wanted to dress up and be on display anyway!)
• Our family has been content and happy through all the challenges of COVID-19, even my son who struggles with mental illness. I know this is not true for other families.
• Our family was able to get financing approved and purchase a beautiful home near Moose Lake where we are able to enjoy seeing deer in our yard. (We only had about six weeks between the day we made an offer to purchase until the closing date to get everything in place.)

• Our family continued to receive consistent, quality service for our children with disabilities when other families were told no service was available.
• I was able to present a workshop at the virtual InScribe Fall Conference.
• Our contract with PDD to support my twins was renewed at the same rate as last year. Unfortunately, other families had their contract hours cut.
• I was also able to speak and present a workshop for the Born to Soar virtual conference.
• So far our family has been healthy.

I know there may still be difficult days ahead. Maybe we haven't seen the worst of COVID-19 yet. Perhaps we will face illness or death. However, I also know that God knows the future and will walk through it with me and my family.

What about you? Have you found positive things to focus on during 2020?